Apparatus for removing the skins of fruits and vegetables.



PATENTED JUNEZ, 1907.

C. D. MONTE, DEGD v. J. MONTE, ADMINISTRATRIX.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 6,'1905.

APPARATUS POR REMOVING THE SKINSOF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

. W//nesses CIPRIANO D. MONTE, OF SAN ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID CI SCO, CALIFORNIA; VIRGINIA J. MONTE PRIANO D. MONTE, DECEASED.

APPARATUSFOR REMOVING THE SKINS F FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Ive-858,094.

Specification of Letters Patent.

K Patented June 25, 1907.

' Application ned April 6,1905. seal N0. 254,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CiraIANoD. MONTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and in the county of San Franc1sco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Re- .moving the Skills oi Fruits and Vegetables,

oi which the following is a spcciflcatlon.

j rollers 4.

My invention relates to an apparatus for removing the skins of fruits and vegetables after treatment by a chemical process .to loosen the sklns from the meat, and for washing and blanching the same preparatoryy to canning.

The object oi" lny invention is to. provide a satisfactory means for-effectually removillg the skills and also i'or thoroughly eradicating every trace of the solution by which the peel loosened so that' as the fruit leaves the ap aratus it is ready for the cans.

The invention consists ofthe parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawin s, in whichugure 1 1s a longltudlnal vertlcal section of my a paratus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same. i4`1g..3 is a sectional v iewA of the adjustable nozzle.

A represents a suitable frame supporting suitable conveying means as the carrier 2. Any desired form of carrier may be used to advance the material through the ap aratus so long as it `is su'lliciently perforate or re# ticulated to ol' er no substantial resistance to the action of a jet of water directed from either above or below upon the material on the carrier. As here shown this carrier con sists of an endless stri of wire mesh, passing over drunls 3 at the ends of the frame and supportedat suitable points in its lengthen t 1e "lhe carrier is driven at appropriate speed from either end of the frame and from any suitable source of power.

Arranged above and beneath a part of the conveyer adjacent to the feed end of the apparatus, are suitable. lneans'for directing o posing sprays of water upon the carrier; t e object being that when the fruit or vegetables, which have been previously dipped in a vat containing a heated solution to loosen the skin from the meat, are fed from hopper 5 on to the carrier, they wlll be subjected to innumerable jets from every directhe carrier enters terlal on the carrier ls subjected to a steamtion and impinging on all sides to remove the skins and to thoroughly wash and rinse the peeled fruit or vegetables. l i

As shown, peeling by hydraulic nleans is accomplished as follows: 6 7 yrepresent two series of water pipes connected with any convenient source of pressure water-supply one series 6 being disposed above and parallel with .the carrier and the other 7 disposed similarly below the upper plane of the carrier and each pipe of each series having ad- 'ustable nozzles 8 of` any approved pattern y -whicll a plurality of sprays both above and below the carrier will be directed against the material on the carl-ier. Each nozzle is separately adjustable so that any one or all of the nozzles may be turlled ell' to provide a more or less extended sprayed-area according to the quantity and location of the fruit on the carrier, and according to the ripeness of the fruit.' If the fruit or other nlaterial undergoing treatment is very ripe it can stand less spraying and less force from the jets tllan wllerethematerial is reener or llrlner. Furthernlore the severa nozzles 'above and below are stag ered so that the nlaterial on the carrier is subjected to a more complete and better action of the sprays. The fruit when rst delivered into the hop er 5 is subjected to a preliminary spraying iby the nozzles 9. The carrier maybe inclosed to contain the splash, the use water flowing down a drain board toa centraldischarge 10. ',lhe pipes 6-7 are lnade up each of sections of di'tl1 erent sizes gradually growing slnaller toward the end o the machine away from hopper 5, or

. from the point where the pipes connect with the supply ipe. The force of the sprays is only enoug 1 to remove the peelings alld thoroughly Wasll the fruit. The flow of water to pi es 6-7 'and the force of the sprays are regu ated by valves 11. The extent of the zone wherein the fruit is subjected to the sprays is suil'lcient for all peeling and cleansing purposes. Passing beyond the sprays,

a steam box 12 and thel lnaing process for'a sulleient time to pro lcrl renlove all traces of solution and to b ancl and shrink the same. Steam for box 12 is admittedthrough the perforated piles 13. The vdrain from the steam box is lcd to the central discharge 10. Leaving the steam box the fruit now perfectly peeled, cleansed and blanched is chilled and set by a series ot sprays discharging Jfrom the adjustable nozzles 14, and is now ready for, cooking and canning.

This apparatus is adapted for the handling of all sorts of Jfruit such 'as peaches, a pricots,

pears, etc., and vegetables such as tomatoes, eets and the like. Drupaceous fruits such as peaches and apricots are usually first pitted. The advantage of the double spraying above and below with halved fruit of this character is obvious since much of the Jfruit will travel lat on the carrier, and i only sprayed from-above the inside of thefruit would not be washed at all. By the two sets of sprays every part of a halved peach for eX- ample is actedon many times and every trace of the lye solution and every particle of peel are removed. This method of peelingand washing does not harm the fruit infthe slightest manner as has been proven by actual practice, and is much cleaner than the usual 'without departing and method. y.

It is obvious that various changes and modiiications are possible in invention from the principle thereof, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myseli` to the speciiic construction herein shown and described.' i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1S 1. A peeling and washing machine having in combination, a' supporting frame, a movable carrier mounted therein, and upon which the fruit or vegetable to be peeled is supported, fluid-supply pipes having nozzles adapted to discharge jets under pressure upon the fruit to remove the skin thereof, said nozzlesbeing independently-adjustable to enable any one or all of the nozzles to be turned off to provide a more or less extended s rayed area according to the condition of t e fruit.

2. A peeling and Washing machine having 1n combmation a'supportu@ frame-work, an

4 endless-carrier operable therein iiuid jetpipes at one end of the frame-Work adapted to deliver jets upon the fruit supported on a conveyer, 1a steam chamber intermediate of the ends of the conveyer-and through which the conveyer carries the fruit, and other -lnidjets beyond the "steam chamber adapted to deliver jets upon thefruit after leaving said chamber whereby theiruit is chilled and set.

3. An apparatus for removing the skins of fruit and vegetables comprising a suitable perforated conveyer, one or more water pipes arranged above vand parallel with the conf vey'er and provided with independently longitudinally adjustable nozzles discharging downward on the conveyer, and one or more water pipes arranged parallel with and below the conveyer and having a plurality of individually adjustable nozzles discharging uplwardly against the conveyer.

4. In an ,apparatus of the character de- Y scribed,the combination of a suitable con#y veyer, a series of water pipes arranged above the conveyer and provided with a plurality of downwardly discharging nozzles, a second series of pipes disposed below the conveyer and provided with a series of upwardly discharging nozzles', said conveyer perforated tol allow all of said nozzles to act directly upon the material on the conveyer, a steam box through which the conveyer passes, for

heating the material on the conveyer after it l leaves the sprays and a spray pipe beyond the steam boX for suddenlylchilling the ma* teral as it leaves said heating means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CIPRIANO. D. MONTE. Witnesses S. H. NOURsE, JEssrE C. BRoDiE. 

